A Preserved Porsche - 1966 911S

Exploding the myth that there are no good deals in early 911s

Feature Article from Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car

Appearances don't always deceive: It's indeed, indisputably, an early descendant of the original Porsche 901, only with one major difference from most of its Stuttgart-born kinfolk--its looks. Today, any example of the fabulous, almost surreally famed Porsche 911 is a lock for restoration, even if it's already been restored at least once. This very early 911S represents the antithesis of that postulate. It's a raw, ragged rear-engine rarity, and while it might get its own restoration someday, nobody should hold his or her breath underwater waiting for that to occur.
This 1966 911S is owned by Dave Runge of Millerton, New York. Actually, it's only one of the 10 bespoke 911S models, both coupe and Targa, that are in his horizon-stretching holdings of vintage Porsches and their parts. All are frozen at various interim points of revival. This one is almost exactly as he found it, and as its previous two owners found it, the 911S evidently having hailed from parts unknown.
Look it over. The paint is dulled to a Twizzler's opaqueness. Gouges and rust spots abound. There's a very apparent cave-in dent on the front lid, just inboard of the (dully) chromed horn vent that trademarks the vintage of any antediluvian 911. The front seats have aircraft-style lap belts, an intelligent addition for one of these sports cars, but their surfaces are rough and scratched. The Weber-stoked engine runs famously, but smokes perceptibly.
By 1966, Porsche was ready to revert to past 356 practice and bestow its newly iconic 911 with a multiple-model range. Into the breach came the 911S, a late-year introduction whose 2.0-liter air-cooled flat six received a boosted compression ratio, up to 9.8:1, and a corresponding horsepower increase, to 160hp from the base 911's 130. It also boasted, through 1967 only, a pair of Weber three-barrel 40 IDA 3C carburetors, along with larger intake and exhaust valves. Chassis improvements included ventilated brake discs, adjustable Koni shocks and, for the first time, alloy wheels, in the form of Fuchs five-spoke rims that would become a visual 911 trademark. The original carbureted 911S was dropped in the United States after 1967; it would return with Bosch mechanical fuel injection in 1969.
Runge doesn't know the earliest history of his 911S, other than the fact that it once received an Alabama title and was never even considered for restoration. He originally found it being offered on the Internet; in fact, posted as having been sold before he could even make a bid, for what he'd only describe as some out-of-sight pricing for a thumped Porsche. The successful bidder, though, was in Belgium, and the seller didn't want the hassles of shipping it overseas, which is why a British bidder didn't get it, either. A sale to a California buyer also fell through. The 911S was ultimately sold to a buyer in Stanfordville, New York, just a few miles from Runge's home in Millerton. That was late last year, and Runge finally managed to meet his almost-neighbor and buy the car in a private sale. Turns out it had been abandoned at a body shop outside New York City where it had been left for repairs. The shop owner slapped a lien on it and advertised it for sale in a Greek-language newspaper, where a Long Island auctioneer spotted it. From there, it went on the block in early 2006, and that's where Runge first came in.
"When I looked at that leather steering wheel, vinyl dashboard and leather seats, I saw it was an early 911S, and I knew exactly what I had," he said.
The 911S had been shoddily repainted in the very distant past. In his bank of parts, Runge managed to find a replacement for the vinyl dash pad, which the sun had curled.
Next, he opened both deck covers to check on the suspension, which, when subjected to corrosion, can be a damning trouble spot for any vintage 911. As Runge told it, "I knew it was going to be the weak point of the whole car. I looked in the back and could see that the torsion tubes were okay, but up front, one look told me that the whole front suspension pan was in need of replacement. Somebody had been trying to tow the car and had put a couple of tow hooks in the pan, and the hooks eventually ripped holes right through the front pan. Replacing the pan was the only real welding I had to do."
Runge and a pal replaced the clutch, which came out of a spare 911S drivetrain he already had. Lacking the guide tool usually used to line up the transaxle with the pressure plate, Runge and his buddy simply slung the unit into place by hand over the plate while leaving the mounting bolts loose, positioned it by eye and then tightened everything up. After a cleanup and basic tuning, the engine runs fine, other than the oil smoke.
By his own admission, Runge is a diehard British sports car guy who got into Porsche only because his son was infatuated with them. By his count, he owns about 20 in total. He told us, "I'd never pay $80,000 or $100,000 for a new one, but I've still got a lot of neat stuff. This car needs day-to-day maintenance, but it's beautiful to drive. It was supposed to go overseas, so now it's come full circle."

This article originally appeared in the September, 2007 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car.